586 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



are not needed for public purposes, and 

 may list and describe the same by 

 metes and bounds, or otherwise." 



The only new element introduced in 

 the amendment passed is that it carries 

 an appropriation which will enable the 

 Forest officers to classify the lands 

 chiefly valuable for agricultural pur- 

 poses prior to the filing of application 

 for them by settlers. This is wholly 

 in accord with the policy of the Forest 

 Service, and only the lack of funds 

 hitherto has prevented any extensive 

 classification of such lands. 



It was believed that the amendment 

 proposed by the Senate contained ele- 

 ments of vagueness which were capable 

 of endangering the interests of the pub- 

 lic. It seemed possible that lands chief- 

 ly valuable for timber, timber growing, 

 water power development, reservoir 

 sites and other uses, but possessing sec- 

 ondary or even slight agricultural possi- 

 bilities might be required under a strict 

 interpretation of the proposed law to be 

 opened to private exploitation, in which 

 agricultural possibilities would be only 

 a pretext for acquiring title. 



An improvement over past appro- 

 priation laws is in the provision that no 

 land listed for agricultural settlement 

 under the Act of June 11. 1906. shall 

 pass from the Forest until patent issue. 

 Formerly it was held that land thus 

 listed even though unoccupied or aban- 

 doned was forever alienated from the 

 Forest. 



The new law carries an appropriation 

 for the administration of the Appalach- 

 ian forests now being acquired. 



Although a number of Assistant For- 

 est Ranger positions have been dropped 

 from the statutory rolls the money 

 available for salaries will permit the 

 temporary employment of more than 

 that number of Forest Guards during 

 the fire season. 



An analysis of the sums carried in 

 the appropriations shows a slight de- 

 crease this year, as shown in the fol- 

 lowing : 



1911-1912 1912-1913 



Salaries $2,318,680 $2,235,760 



General Expenses 2,714,420 2,707,285 



Permanent Imp. 500.000 400,000 



Total $5,533.100 $5,343,045 



Permanent improvement money in 

 the new law is considered a part of the 

 general expense moneys, but for pur- 

 poses of comparison it has been segre- 

 gated. 



Further comparison of sub-allot- 

 ments is as follows : 



1911-12 1912-13 



Fires and emergencies $150,000 $150,000 



Equipment and supplies 198,080 155,000 



Investigations in wood dis- 

 tillation, preservatives, 

 paper making, timber test- 

 ing, etc. 177,040 170,000 



Grazing investigations 18,420 20,180 



Market and miscellaneous 

 investigations 33,760 31,360 



The 25 per centum of gross revenues 

 will be turned over to the States in 

 which National Forests are located to 

 be applied to the road and school funds, 

 as in the past. The new law provides. 

 "That an additional ten per centum of 

 all moneys received from National 

 Forests during the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1912, shall be available at the 

 end thereof to be expended by the Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture for the construc- 

 tion and maintenance of roads and trails 

 within the National Forests in the 

 States from which such proceeds are 

 derived, but the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture may, whenever practicable, in the 

 construction and maintenance of such 

 roads, secure the co-operation or aid 

 of the proper State or Territorial au- 

 thorities in the furtherance of any sys- 

 tem of highways of which such roads 

 may be a part." 



While the ten per centum will be ex- 

 pended in building roads and trails pri- 

 marily for the use and convenience of 

 forest users and those traveling across 

 the Forests, in most instances these 

 public improvements will greatly assist 

 the Forest officers in transacting their 

 business and in further protecting the 

 Forests and rendering them of wider 

 use. 



While a larger appropriation could 

 have been wisely used, the new appro- 

 priation law, carrying practically the 

 same sums as last year, is probably suf- 

 ficient to the Forest Service. 



